Water-borne airplane terminal



F. R. HARRIS WATER-BORNE AIRPLANE TERMINAL Oct. 3o, 195s 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Aug. 14, 1945 Oct. 30, 1956 F, R. HARRIS 2,768,598

WATER-BORNE AIRPLANE TERMINAL Original Filed Aug. 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY WATER-BORNE ArRPLANn TERMINAL Frederic R. Harris, deceased, late of New York, N. Y., by Florence B. Downs, Michael S. Lobenthal, and Monroe Percy Bloch, New York, N. Y., executors; assignors to Frederic R. Harris, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application August 14, 1945, Serial No. 610,749. Divided and this application (lctober 14, 1953, Serial No. 386,022

3 Claims. (Cl. 114-435) This invention is an improvement in water-borne terminals for aircraft, such as sea planes or flying boats, which are designed to come to rest directly on a body of water, and rise from the surface of the water when beginning a iiight.

An object of this invention is to provide a floating terminal comprising a platform which can be located on the water at a convenient distance from the shore; and which has the construction and capacity for loading and unloading, or overhauling and repairing a plane therein. The invention may include a movable bridge or gangway, that is to be maintained close by at the shore and is adapted to be actuated into position to reach the terminal and connect the plane to a landing stage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sea plane terminal having a platform and elevated side structures with a space between them to form a slip or berth for the body or the hull of the plane; the height of such structures preferably making the tops level with the doors or hatchways of the aircraft.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sea plane terminal including a platform which, while it is maintained in the required location, can be rotated to permit the plane to move into its berth upon same from virtually any direction or approach, and then readily moved further to meet the gangway leading to the shore.

lt is also an object of this invention to provide a sea plane terminal having the general construction of a oating dry dock such as -is used for lifting and repairing ships, and is adapted to give the plane and all its parts suitable support thereon, and afford ample space for passengers, cargo and repair equipment, materials and supplies during both loading and unloading operations.

The nature of the invention is explained in the description and accompanying drawings which disclose the preferred form of the terminal. However, the invention is not limited in practice to the features actually shown, for considerable variation in details may be made without departing from the principle embodied in the invention.

On said drawings:

Figure 1 shows a top plan, somewhat diagrammatic, of a complete sea plane terminal according to this invention.

Figure la shows a portion of the terminal in alinement with means connecting it with a shore installation.

Figure 2 is a side view of the terminal, with some parts shown on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 shows in side elevation a modification thereof.

Figure 4 is a top view of part of what appears on Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in transverse section of a second modification.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 610,749, tiled August 14, 1945, nowabandoned.

Figures 1 and 2 'show a terminal `indicated as a whole by the numeral 1, embracing a pair of beams or mooring means 2 by which it is secured in the desired position "ite States Patent rvrice Fatented ct. Si?, l@

offshore. The beams or members 2 appear diagrammatically only in Figure l. These have ball and socket or other pivotal connection with the terminal at one end and with a liked abutment adjacent the shore at the other end; so that the said terminal may rise and fall with the tide according to the weight or load carried by same. The beams extend a selected distance from a pair of abutments, such as wharves or piers 3 on or adjacent the shore, and between the piers 3 is a long buoyant iioating member 4 which is usually in retracted position between the piers 3 and can be moved out to serve as a bridge or gangway, preferably iioating on the water, connecting the terminal to the shore.

The bottom of the terminal 1 indicated at S is preferably in the form of a circular platform or turntable with a structure 6 of some height at each side. The tiat tops of these elevated sides or parts 6 may be used as supporting surfaces for receiving and discharging passengers and freight thereon; and they are separated by a space 7 which forms a slipway or berth for the body 8 of the sea plane. When the latter comes to rest on the surface of the water it is moved into the space 7 between the sides 6 for loading or unloading. The platform 5 is a spanning or supporting connector member which unites the parts 6 at their lower ends. These structures 6 are like the side walls or wings of a oating dry dock, and may oe hollow, as illustrated in part on Figure 2. The elevated structures 6 can be weighted by pumping in water when necessary to submerge the framework 9 and platform 5, but are always kept buoyant enough to support their tops above the water surface. Pumps are diagrammatically iilustrated at P, inlet ports at I and outlet or discharge ports at O.

Below the turntable 5 the terminal 1 also includes a framework 9, at the middle of which is a journal or pivot 10 on which the platform 5 and sides 6 can be revolved as a unit. This framework supports a stationary gear 11 surrounding the journal 10, and this gear meshes with a pinion 12 on a shaft 13 projecting from one of the structures 6. The shaft 13 can conveniently be turned by a motor or winch indicated at 14, in one structure 6. Several gears and motors may be employed. Each of the arms or branches 15 of the frame member 9 has hookshaped ends 16 carrying cone-shaped, anti-friction rollers 17 which move in a groove or raceway 18 in the outer peripheral surface of the member 5. Two of the arms of the framework 9 have sockets 19 to receive the spherical ends 20 of the beams 2 and thus provide the ball and socket connection above mentioned. A similar ball and socket joint unites the beams 2 with the tops of piles 21, a number of which are employed in the building of the piers 3. These piles 21 are braced where necessary by diagonal piling 22 and carry horizontal beams at the tops indicated at 23, constituting the abutments to which beams Z are thus joined. The adjacent ends of the beams 2 may be connected by the ball and socket points to either the beams 23 or piles 21 as will be understood. At the ends of each pier 3 is a line of stakes or piles 22 in diagonal position which may be united by planking or any other form of covering, if desired. The bail and socket joints at the ends of the beams 2 also permit the platform 5 in some degree to swing sidewise when swayed by wind or wave action. The frame 9 is thus a cooperating member rotatably engaging the platform 5.

The rack 11 is of course fixed to the framework 9 and the stud or journal 10 is either iiXed to the platform 5 and rotatably mounted in a bearing on the framework 9, or Xed to said framework and rotatably engaged with a bearing in the platform 5.

In practice, when a sea plane lands near a terminal, the turntable S is revolved to move the slipway 7 into line with the direction of approach of the plane; which then taxies into position, bringing its hull or body into the berth between the sides 6, with the hull 8 projecting somewhat beyond the platform 5, as indicated in Figure 1. The platform is then revolved to bring the slipway 7 into line with the bridge or gangway 4, which is then moved outward, floating on the water, until it reaches the platform S. See Figure 1a. Preferably, the outer extremity of the bridge 4 is forked somewhat, and the arms 24 thereof have concave curved surfaces 25 at the ends to lit against the narrow curved ends 26 and the two sections 6, and receive the body 8 of the sea plane between them. The plane can then be loaded or unloaded, and the passengers and other contents can be moved from the piers 3 over the gangway 4 to the sides 6 to load the plane, or in the opposite direction to unload it. The piers or wharves 3 will of course have planks suitably arranged thereon to form a landing stage. The construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 is not part of this invention, but is recited in the claims of the inventors copending application Serial No. 386,021, filed October 14, 1953, the claims in this case being drawn to cover only the combinations illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.

In the terminal of Figures 3 and 4, the bottom member or platform 5a of the terminal 1 has hollow structures or side walls 6a with elevated top surfaces and the slipway or berth 7a between them as before. A cooperating member 9 carries the journal 10 about which the platform member 5a can be turned, and this member can be sector-shaped or it may consist of two arms rigidly united and converging to the journal 10, (see Figure 4) and with the opposite ends of each secured by ball and socket joint to the beams 2. The upper surface of the bottom member 5a carries a circular gear rack 11a surrounding the sides or wings 6a and engaged by a pinion 12a; the base member 9' having a housing 2S projecting over the gear rack 11a for a motor or other apparatus by which the pinion 12a can be turned. Thus, the platform can be rotated as before to bring the slipway 7 into line with the approaching plane and shifted again into line with the oating bridge or gangway 4.

The terminal of Figure 5 has a bottom member 5b which is preferably circular with hollow structures 6b on top and projecting beyond the bottom 5b at each side. Surrounding the bottom 5b is an annular cooperating member 29 having a circular rack 11b on its inner faces and flanges 30 above and below the rack. This rack is engaged as before by a pinion 12 between the flanges 30 on a shaft 13 operated by suitable apparatus 14, in one or both structures 6b. Only one pinion and shaft are shown, but more may be employed, The ring member 29 is connected as before at separated points by the beams or mooring devices 2 to the fixed piers on the shore. The side structures may of course have any required configuration or outline in elevation or plan. The upper flange 30 extends all around the member 29 overlaps pinion 12 to prevent disengagement from the rack 11b. The side structures 6b overlap the top flange 30 and the platform with its structures 6b is supported thereon. Antifriction rollers may be placed on the top of upper flange 30 for engagement by the side structures if desired. The member Sb can therefore easily be turned as before to aline the slipway 7b with the gangway 4.

In Figures 1 and 2, the structures 6 have cylindrical or otherwise curved outboard faces, while the inboard faces are parallel and at with the space 7 for the aircraft between them. The structures 6a and 6b may have the same shape or all structures 6, 6a and 6b may be of other shapes, but the ends 26 preferably are rounded and convex to conform to the concave surfaces at the ends of the bridge member 4.

The beams are free to move up and down as the platform is raised or lowered by the tide, but they limit or prevent substantial rotary movement or torque of the members 5a and 5b, except that these members may oscillate slightly about the center in response to the action of wind or waves.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new is:

1. A marine terminal for seaplanes, said terminal comprising a base member, a platform member thereon, the platform member being rotatably connected to said base member, said platform and base members being located offshore in a body of water, hollow side walls having buoyancy on said platform member, the buoyancy of said terminal being sullicient to support said platform and base member submerged below the surface of said water with the tops of said walls above said surface, said walls being separated by a space with water therein and of suicient width to receive the hull of a seaplane between said walls, means for attaching said base member at separate points to a structure adjacent the shore to prevent rotation of said base member, an annular rack xed on one of said members, a rotatable shaft on the other member bearing a gear meshing within said rack, and means on the terminal for operating the shaft to rotate the platform member to aline said space with an incoming plane and with said structure.

2. A marine terminal for seaplanes, said terminal comprising an annular base, a platform rotatably mounted on said base, said base and platform being located offshore in a body of water, hollow side walls having buoyancy on the platform, the buoyancy of said terminal being sullcient to support said base and said platform submerged under the surface of said water with the tops of said walls above said surface, said walls being separated by a space with water therein and of suflicient width to receive the body of a seaplane, means for attaching said base at separate points to a structure on shore to prevent rotation of said base, an annular rack on said base, a rotatable shaft on the platform and a gear on the shaft meshing within said rack, and means on the terminal to rotate the shaft and aline said space with an incoming plane and with said structure.

3. A marine terminal for seaplanes, said terminal cornprising an annular base, a platform rotatably mounted on said base, said base and platform being located olfshore in a body of water, hollow side walls having buoyancy on the platform, the buoyancy of said terminal being suicient to support said base and said platform submerged under the surface of said water with the tops of said walls above said surface, said walls being separated by a space with water therein and of sufficient width to receive the body of a seaplane, means for attaching said base at separate points to a structure on shore to prevent rotation of said base, an annular rack on the platform, a shaft on the base having a gear meshing within said rack, and means carried by the base to operate the shaft and rotate the platform to aline said space with an incoming plane and with said structure.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 46,223 Eads Feb. 7, 1865 1,247,889 Steinmetz Nov. 27, 1917 1,937,973 Mayo Dec. 5, 1933 2,133,721 Seidman Oct. 18, 1938 2,155,043 Gorskey Apr. 18, 1939 2,387,352 Radick Oct. 23, 1945 2,501,310 Burke Mar. 21, 1950 2,569,783 Smith Oct. 2, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 290,505 Great Britain May 17, 1928 

